


Tomorrow Dawns In Darkness

by I_Am_Darkness



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dark Magic, Death Eaters, F/M, Original Character Death(s), Reader-Insert, Romance, Teen Romance, Villains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 14:43:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Am_Darkness/pseuds/I_Am_Darkness
Summary: Convicted Death Eater Antiochus Avery is questioned by an Auror about the past of a particularly nasty fellow Death Eater of his who was directly involved in the second escape of Bartemius Crouch Jr from Azkaban. The Ministry wants both of them found and sentenced, but there is a reason why many have died in their attempts to catch them...





	Tomorrow Dawns In Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> This story involves themes of insanity and the reader is a pureblood Slytherin and is portrayed as a villain. If you are not comfortable with this, I suggest you don't read this.  
Also, the title is a lyric from a song called "The Moon Rises" by ponyphonic.

"Antiochus Avery," He uttered the name slowly but firmly. "I want you to tell me everything you know about (Y/n) (L/n). She had a close relationship with the Death Eater, Bartemius Crouch Jr." 

The Auror's gaze was harsh, leaving no room for disobedience from the Death Eater before him. The Ministry had the decency of bringing the criminal from the cold cell of Azkaban to a more or less decent interrogation room. The Auror's wand lay before him on the table, his hands on either side of it, while the Death Eater had his hands tied with magic and was sealed almost completely onto his chair as he faced his interrogator on the other side of the table. 

He had agreed to speak on condition that the judges set him free or at least lessen his prison sentence.

"...I knew her in Hogwarts. We were both sorted into Slytherin in the same year as Crouch. They used to talk a lot. In fact, I recall them being together all the time." A small pause. "She was the only one who could tolerate him." He added, thus indicating the peculiarity of the bond these two shared.

The Auror nodded. "So, they were lovers...?" He half-stated and half-asked with an eyebrow stretched high.

"I don't know-" Antiochus stopped himself again after realizing this was not a very sufficient answer and his freedom depended highly on the way he spoke. "Well, not for sure, at least...but I can assume they were. Whatever kind of 'love' a guy like him could have. I don't know if this means anything, but she called him 'Bartemy' when everyone else called him Barty or Crouch. I mean- she had her own special nickname for him and he was not very tolerant about the ways of being addressed."

_Potions class was finally over and the two Slytherin students headed out next to each other. Behind them, groups of people would whisper, but before the young man had any chance to turn and lash out to those cowards who had no courage to say anything to his face, (Y/n) placed a hand on his shoulder._

_"Don't give them the attention they don't deserve, Bartemy. Not for such petty reasons." She advised as they walked away from the classroom and the nosy students behind them. Both knew the topics of such narrow-minded gossip: rumors that the two are dating, why or how (Y/n) is so close with Bartemius, whether she is as crazy as he is and various other assumptions._

_"They are cowards!" Barty hissed with an involuntary flick of his tongue. "I don't care what they say, but they should say it to my face!"_

_"Bartemy? I thought you wanted to be addressed as 'Barty' informally." Spoke a student before (Y/n) had the chance to respond._

_The boy looked up to see a fellow Slytherin student, one of his acquaintances. "None of your business, Avery. 'Bartemy' is for her only." In reality, he liked this abbreviation because it differed from what they called his father. He felt as though he wasn't connected to this senseless hypocritical bastard, that he was his own self and not the mirrored image of Bartemius Crouch Snr that everyone wanted him to be._

_Still, it was a personal happiness that he wanted to share only with (Y/n) as she was the one who came up with it, who approached him and did not see him the way others did. She deserved the privilege to call him by this more than anyone else. _

_"Well, fair enough lover-boy. I'll see you in Defense." Antiochus said sarcastically before turning to the Slytherin girl beside Barty to offer an acknowledging nod. "Bye (Y/n)."_

_She huffed through her nostrils but smiled. She knew he meant no harm or disrespect, unlike the others did. "Bye, Antiochus."_

_Just when he was out of sight, Barty grimaced comically and stuck his tongue out, annoyed and slightly flustered by his fellow Slytherin's remark._

"So he did offer her the 'privilege', so to speak, of using a different abbreviation of his name," mused the Auror with a hand on his chin. It did not sound like such an important factor to him and he gazed at the Death Eater before him expectantly. The Auror was expecting something more to this peculiar relationship.

After all, he did not care about how Barty and (Y/n) expressed their love to each other, he cared to find hints in their relationship that could help him pinpoint their whereabouts after she somehow helped him escape Azkaban again before he could receive the Dementor's Kiss.

"If that's all you have to offer, then-"

Panicked, Antiochus quickly cut him off. "No, no...there's more to it. That is only the surface of what they did." 

The Auror leaned back comfortably and gestured for him to continue.

Slightly calmer, Antiochus spoke.

_Class would not begin in at least two hours from now and Barty had this exciting albeit dangerous idea of sneaking out into the Forbidden Forest with (Y/n)._

_Most students would be scared or appalled by the idea of such a thing, but he was pleasantly surprised when her eyes lit with enthusiasm. "Well, isn't that a marvelous idea, Bartemy." She said with a sly smirk. "Lead the way."_

_The young man grinned widely, insanity dancing along the glint of his eyes, and his tongue twitched through his lips for a brief moment before he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her along. It was something they did often; they liked the eerie calmness of the Forbidden Forest, where they could finally be free of the nagging whispers around them. _

_The two walked in quick steps as they made their way to the forest and once they were away from prying eyes, Barty let out a laugh and began to run. Still holding his hand, (Y/n) ran along with him and couldn't help but laugh as well at his hyperactivity. Her laugh was considerably less demented than his, it was more of an impulsive reaction to the feeling of being suddenly yanked to run._

_Finally, after reaching a spot he considered convenient, Barty stopped. He was panting heavily from running and licking his lips frantically. (Y/n) was breathing heavily as well, feeling a tear of sweat run down from her forehead. She wiped it, then proceeded to sit down under one of the trees._

_"...It's a nice spot here." She said after her normal heart rate was more or less settled and her breathing rhythm was calmer._

_Barty stopped for a moment, then let out a deep sigh before sitting down beside her. He leaned his back against the tree behind him, of which the trunk was wide enough for both of them to lean comfortably, and turned to look at the fair young woman. "It is." He responded and his tongue twitched a bit._

_People often stared at him in confusion when this happened. It is obvious they considered him a freak, but due to his status as the son of the Bartemius Crouch Snr and due to his infamous aggression, not many dared to harm him. Still, the looks and the whispers were enough to let him know how much of an oddity he is._

_And yet...(Y/n) never really questioned this. She gazed at him as though he were...normal. Absolutely perfectly normal. His twitching, his suspicious fondness of the Dark Arts, his sadism, his spontaneous bursts of anger and his overall insanity were overlooked. _

_Barty observed her, his head was tilted slightly. (Y/n) stared back with a calm smile before leaning her head onto his shoulder. He tensed briefly but enjoyed the contact, it was a rare and genuine affection which he only received from her and his mother. Or, at least, every so often from the latter and (Y/n)'s affection was a lot different._

_Both had already almost closed their eyes, relaxing, and Barty had brought his arm loosely around (Y/n)'s waist when the beckoning of a familiar voice had them jolting up in shock._

_"And here I thought you two were out here for dark spells and rituals." Antiochus said as he approached them, apparently having been hidden behind some tree._

_Annoyed that such a beautiful moment was interrupted, Barty glared at the boy harshly as his tongue flicked out of his lips a couple of times. He wouldn't admit it, but Antiochus felt a tingle of fear running down his spine every time Barty looked at him like that. It was as though he faced a humanized snake._

_"What do you want here, Avery!?" Hissed Barty dangerously, making the other boy take a step back._

_"I thought you were going to perform some kind of dark magic so I followed. Look, I didn't know you came here to cuddle." He said, raising his hands to show that he did not wish to fight._

_Barty was just about to snap when (Y/n) stepped in. "I don't think he's lying, Bartemy. Why would he care to spy on us if we're not doing anything he finds interesting?"_

_He glanced at her, flicking his tongue rapidly again. He did have some thoughts to debate on this, but for her sake, he dropped the argument. "Well then, nothing interesting, now get going before I take my wand out." Barty threatened and Antiochus nodded before turning to run away._

"So, let me get this straight; you followed them in the Forbidden Forest, caught them- what- cuddling? And then you left." Said the Auror, not very amused. Yet the fact that the two frolicked for such affectionate moments in a place as dangerous as this does highlight their insanity.

Perhaps they might still use this place, for all he knows.

"Yes, I could have snuck my way back to continue spying just in case but I didn't want to get caught somehow. Barty was very, very violent. Being alone in the Forbidden Forest may have resulted in him using really nasty spells. Besides, I didn't care to watch them cuddle." Antiochus explained. "However, I had seen them sneaking out other times too. Maybe they did perform dark magic rituals or done something bad."

"Hm, so he used dark spells and snuck into the Forbidden Forest casually even during his years in Hogwarts." He stated. "But what about (Y/n)? So far you've described her as the voice of reason, if not somewhat naive for following him around. How come she became such a fearsome, murderous Death Eater?"

The Death Eater shook his head, smiling. "Oh, we all thought she was too nice to be a Slytherin, we doubted the Sorting Hat but it was later that we found out just how unlikely it is for it to make mistakes..."

_Barty was not a stranger to impulsive behavior. He possessed the mind of an expert strategist and could achieve nearly flawless deductive patterns of thought, but he was still a victim to his anger and refused to hold himself back when he was challenged or provoked in some way._

_This was one of the times that (Y/n) was not with him and she was usually the one to talk sense back into his mind when anger shoved him into regrettable choices, such as picking fights with the older Gryffindors. _

_Repeatedly, he would glance behind him as a team of Gryffindors snickered and joked around, often looking or pointing to him not-so-discreetly but without extending their arms fully. Yet, it was still visible and very irritating for him. They made no move to hurt him physically in any way, knowing the consequences, but it was obvious that they would not stand there to watch should he start a fight. _

_"If you have something to say, then say it." He hissed at them, finally turning to them fully with his hand ready to reach for his wand. _

_The smirks on their faces widened as they approached him. They were taller than him and he instinctively took a step back, grimacing in anger at himself when he realized it._

_"Virgil here was just telling me about you." Said the one in the middle, pointing at the boy to his right. "You see, he happens to be a half-blood, like me, and he heard what you've been saying about people like us and about mud-bloods." _

_He began to draw near, head tilting in a dangerously ominous manner as his smile faded a little. Barty tried not to back down as the older Gryffindor boy got impossibly close to him. If anything, being treated like a weakling by a filthy half-blood Gryffindor was making him much too angry to back down._

_"So, if you think about it, when you say that mudbloods are filthy, you're essentially insulting my mother and Virgil's father." Said the boy with alarming calmness. Once his name was spoken, Virgil took a step closer as well and so did the third boy in the far left._

_Barty's glare did not falter, nor did the scowl on his face. He looked like a cornered animal as all three of them approached and this time he couldn't help but take another step back. Finally, he made the move to reach for his wand, but the boy in the middle had already seen his hand that was close to the pocket of his Slytherin robes._

_"I don't think so." He spat harshly and, already holding his wand firmly, cast a quick disarming spell. "Expelliarmus!" He practically shouted and Barty's wand was thrown away the moment his fingers were about to wrap around it._

_Turning to them in one sharp movement, his eyes glinted in a mixture of shock and anger and his tongue flicked a few times as he took more steps back. Three against one was already unfair and the difference in their age only made it worse, but the three Gryffindors seemed to really want revenge for what he'd said. Truthfully, his words about everyone other than pure-bloods were horrible._

_"You're lucky that your father is in the Ministry, that's why we'll give you a chance to apologize to everyone, here and now, and admit how much of a worthless freak you are." _

_At his words, Barty looked around, seeing that some students had already gathered around, looking at what was almost turning into a duel. Apparently, no one had any intentions of informing a professor about this. Not yet, at least._

_"...Apologize? You think your ridiculous Gryffindor brawn will scare me!? Pathetic!" Barty spat, his harshness coated with a deep insanity that the Gryffindor boy lacked. "You think I'm the only one here who hates filthy half-bloods and mud-bloods? Every sane pure-blood does! But clearly, you brainless cowards won't pick on anyone your own size, will you!?" He shouted with madness._

_The Gryffindor boys were freaked out by his behavior, but were also angry. "**Expulso**!" Shouted the one in the middle with rage, creating an explosion that threw Barty against one of the pillars in the Viaduct Courtyard. The impact caused him to scream in pain as he fell to the ground. Gasps were heard from the students at the overly dangerous spell used by the Gryffindor boy._

_"Stupe-"_

_"Expelliarmus!" The enraged shout of the disarming spell interrupted the older Gryffindor, sending his wand flying. The voice belonged to (Y/n), who looked just as angry as she sounded while taking quick and aggressive steps towards them. Antiochus followed her suit, trying to keep up with her quick pace, though remained with the crowd as she went to stand in front of Barty protectively._

_"Everte Statum!" She shouted again before the boys had any chance to react. The boy she'd disarmed was thrown away, though the impact was not as hard as the one caused by Expulso. "Aqua Eructo!" Was her next spell which blasted a jet of water that threw away the other two._

_Barty watched her with wide eyes, surprised by her sudden arrival and how fiercely she stood up for him against three older students._

_However, despite having temporarily dealt with the three, thus being able to get Barty away from there and report to Dumbledore, (Y/n) began to approach the boys instead._

_"Slugulus Eructo." She said firmly but without shouting. The one she'd targeted gagged and quickly rolled on his stomach as he began to vomit slugs. "Serpensortia. Engorgio." She added, poducing a snake which was then magnified. It began to slither towards the other two boys who were trying to back away from it._

_(Y/n) took a moment to watch. The expression on her face was stone-cold, not one of sadistic joy, yet she made no move to stop the large snake that could easily poison or strangle them._

_The two screamed while the one vomiting slugs panicked and desperately began to back away._

_"Vipera Evanesca!" Shouted the voice of professor McGonagall, who quickly made the snake disappear. "All of you, to the Headmaster's office!" She demanded in a harsh tone, sending a particularly harsh glare at (Y/n) before turning to the boy who was still burping out slugs. "You, Mr. Grandell, are coming with me. You need a Treacle fudge for that."_

_The boy nodded as he stood up and followed her, leaving a trail of slugs behind him. The other two did so as well while warily staring at (Y/n), who gave them a glance before going back to check on Barty. To her surprise, she found him grinning like a madman._

_"...Are you alright?" She asked carefully. _

_His tongue flicked rapidly a few times. "That was impressive, (Y/n)...oh, the snake-producing charm combined with engorgio...absolutely wonderful! I wish you hadn't been interrupted, it was marvelous to watch you torment these filthy half-bloods...!"_

_"Oh, I- thank you..." She murmured, a bit surprised at how much this had entertained him. "Come on, we should explain this to Dumbledore before we both get expelled." She began to walk and Barty followed, picking up his wand from the ground and tucking it back in the pocket of his robes. The grin remained on his lips, ignoring the danger of actually being expelled and the impact it would cause to his family's reputation._

_Still shocked from what he'd witnessed, Antiochus followed suit._

The Auror nodded as he absentmindedly tapped his index fingertip on his wand. He glanced at the pocket of his coat, thinking briefly of the vial of Veritaserum resting in there. He would use it at the end of the discussion to ensure the Death Eater's honesty in his narrations. For now, he would have to carry on assuming that this is the truth.

So (Y/n) had not just protected Barty Crouch, she had exacted revenge upon the Gryffindor boys. She had not done this for pleasure, but apparently because she believed they deserved it for what they did to him. 

"Judging by the fact that both (Y/n) and Barty graduated from Hogwarts, their punishment was not expulsion." Stated the Auror, earning a small affirmative nod from Antiochus. "So, what happened in Dumbledore's office?"

"At first it was just me, (Y/n), Crouch and two of the Gryffindors, Virgil and the guy who started the fight. I think his name was Atreus Cobbward. Later came the Grandell boy and there was a harsh discussion on unauthorized dueling. Gryffindor and Slytherin lost thirty points each. (Y/n) and the Gryffindors also got detention of some days and had to help Filch with some duties for a few days. She would have gotten off the hook had she not continued the fight." 

The Auror huffed a little, seeming annoyed at Antiochus' response. He did, however, mentally note the names of the Gryffindors who were involved for further research.

"It's not the punishment I care about, what happened with (Y/n)? What did she do in Dumbledore's office? Did she lie? Did she have an outburst?" He asked impatiently.

"Actually...she apologized. She said it was wrong of hers to use such dangerous spells. She really sounded genuine and it was the first time I'd seen Crouch glaring at her. He and I both thought she actually felt remorseful for what she did and this played a very important role in avoiding expulsion. That and what some witnesses said to back her up, including me."

The Auror's brow furrowed in surprise. She couldn't have been remorseful, could she? Not after coldly attacking them and only stopping when McGonagall interfered...

Either Antiochus is lying or there is something more to this...

"Did she really regret her actions?" The Auror leaned forward, his dark green eyes staring at Antiochus' with a particular intensity.

"...I admit, she was very convincing. She even fooled Crouch." Murmured Antiochus as a sly smirk began to tug at the corners of his mouth.

_"(Y/n)...!" Hissed Barty as he harshly pulled his fellow Slytherin by the arm and practically dragged her away when the prying eyes of professors and students were no longer near. The two had almost reached the Slytherin common rooms and he quickly changed their destination by bringing her to a quiet spot in a shallow corridor. Pushing her against a wall, he leaned impossibly close with a heated glare in his eyes. "What _was_ that...!?" He hissed in a loud whisper as his tongue flicked._

_"You're accusing me!? **That** was trying to get you out of this situation without causing any of us to get expelled!" She whispered loudly, then quickly glanced around to ensure no one was walking by. "What was I supposed to tell Dumbledore? That I was fit to punish these filthy blood traitors who dared raise their wands against a pureblood? That I felt no remorse for their likes and that they deserved worse?"_

_Upon hearing that, Barty's grip on her loosened and the anger evaporated into shock. He took a step back, having realized what her strategy had been._

_"You were foolish to get yourself in that situation in the first place, Bartemy. You should simply have apologized and then planned out a revenge. I know you're smart enough to think of that." She spoke in a calmer voice when she saw that he'd understood her intentions._

_The boy averted his gaze as he considered her words, nodding in agreement eventually. "...You're right, I know, I just-...I didn't want to give them the pleasure of defeating me, making me speak against my beliefs." He mumbled hatefully, his tongue rapidly poking out onto his lower lip._

_"...I understand. It wasn't a good feeling for me either, but sacrifices must be made to ensure safety. It's not a matter of cowardice, it's a matter of careful and ambitious planning for the future. A Slytherin's way." She finally offered the boy a smile, reaching to hold his shoulder in a reassuring grip._

_Right on the turn of the corridor and hiding against the wall, away from visibility, Antiochus silently heard their conversation with wide eyes. He turned to leave as quietly as he'd followed, right when Barty pulled (Y/n) in a fiercely tight hug._

A hum escaped the Auror's lips, nodding absentmindedly as he set his wand back on the table. "Hm, I see. So she shared Barty Crouch's beliefs, but was simply better at hiding it. Very sly indeed..." He pondered out loud, finally having the kind of information he wanted on (Y/n). "You're not far from that yourself, Avery. Stalking and overhearing conversations. So tell me, how come you went to inform (Y/n) when the turmoil began instead of bringing a professor? Barty had already been disarmed and was clearly the victim of this to a professor's eye. The boys could have been expelled." 

Antiochus was caught off guard at the question. He felt as though the spotlight was on him now.

"If anything, it seems as though you were trying to get her expelled too if we assume that you knew of her abilities and her vengefully protective tendencies towards Barty." The Auror added.

"...Alright, I admit I wanted some action. I too was upset that these blood traitors would try to pick on a fellow pureblood and of the same House as me. I wanted them to get a taste of their own medicine, but I didn't want her to get expelled." He said in a defensive manner.

The Auror nodded simply, though kept the possibility in his mind. 

"None of them were expelled so there isn't a need to dwell on this. Now, since this little discussion between us isn't my only obligation for the day, let us draw a conclusion; Barty Crouch and (Y/n) (L/n) were quite close since youth. The two protected each other, snuck out, broke several rules and were considerably more insane than average." Said the Auror, recapitulating what was said. Antiochus nodded silently.

"Good. It was discovered when Barty Crouch was imprisoned for the first time, that he'd become a Death Eater in his teens, around the time that he got really close with (Y/n). Could it be that it was she who'd influenced him?" 

A sly smile pulled the Death Eater's lips and he averted his gaze for a moment, looking as though he knew something that the Auror before him didn't.

"No, no...(Y/n) was, like you said, _more insane than average _but she was not a Death Eater at the time. Just a wee little pureblood Slytherin who valued blood purity and honor. People like her were common, they still are." Responded Antiochus, with a peculiar confidence in the way he spoke of (Y/n), as though he knew her well.

The Auror remained silent but undoubtedly interested in where this was going. With a movement of his hand, he motioned for the other man to continue.

_The fireplace burned bright in the Slytherin common rooms and the crackling flames ate away at the chunks of wood beneath them as they danced vividly, providing a dim light that tinted the emerald green walls slightly._

_It was night time by then and all students were in their dormitories, sound asleep to gain energy for the coming day._

_Except, of course, for (Y/n) and Barty who were instead seated on a large black couch a few feet from the fireplace. She was seated at his left side and her form was leaning against his with her head resting against the crook of his neck. Without being fully pressed against him, (Y/n) was expressing calm affection and he was happily returning it by resting his hand on her knee, which was only covered by the traditional black tights and the dark grey skirt of her uniform. His slender fingers were splayed around the surface of her knee like spider legs; not caressing, but resting there languidly as both of them gazed into the flames in comforting silence._

_Rarely ever was there such serenity anywhere in Hogwarts; people would always walk about even in quiet parts of the school and the Forbidden Forest was not always a convenient destination. Sleeplessness was a worthy sacrifice if it meant the two would relax in some peace and quiet._

_Neither of them were aware of how much time had passed since they'd sat here, but the flames were still burning strong and bright, crackling constantly in such a lulling manner that could easily drift their minds to sleep right there, with their shirts, vest and loose green ties still on._

_(Y/n)'s attention finally shifted from the flames as her abstract thoughts ceased and her mind focused instead on the feeling of Barty's hand on her knee. The heated room, thanks to the fireplace, had changed Barty's normally cold temperature and his hand felt oddly warm against her barely-covered skin. (Y/n) reached her hand to his in subtle fascination and rested her palm over the back of his hand, gently pushing her fingers in the gaps between his. Instinctively, Barty shifted the position of his hand so that his palm would press against hers and their fingers would intertwine._

_Normally, Barty was cruel and unfeeling; affection didn't come naturally to him, but she somehow elicited this very peculiar behavior from him without putting any effort. Of course, he only showed it when he was certain that no one was watching. The most affectionate he's ever been in public was gently pressing her back or taking hold of her hand or wrist to urge her away with him and the touch would linger for a few moments longer._

_Still, it was something important considering he was one of the youngest people who could use the unforgivable curses. That, however, at the time, was not to (Y/n)'s knowledge._

_The two were still quiet, though while Barty continued to gaze into the flames, (Y/n)'s eyes had trailed down to their intertwined hands. She quite liked his slim, long fingers; pale and with clipped nails, slightly illuminated by the burning glow. Her focus shifted to the whole of his arm, most of which was covered by hers in their current position. His sleeves were only slightly pulled up, revealing the skin of his wrists and less than an inch of his forearms, yet as she slightly moved her arm, she could see a small black smudge on his forearm, barely visible through his sleeve._

_Letting go of his hand, she trailed her fingers there to rub the small, seemingly inky smear there. Yet, as she felt her fingers rub his skin, his mind snapped back to the dreadful reality of precisely _where _her hand was. Eyes wide, Barty's tongue flicked out of his thin lips aggressively a couple of times before he suddenly yanked his arm from her and instantly moved away._

_No longer looking at the fire, Barty's eyes held a familiar harsh glare that (Y/n) frequently saw him shoot at others._

_But rarely to her._

_"What's wrong, Bartemy?" She asked softly, her voice brimming with concern and perhaps a touch of fear. (Y/n) may not be truly scared of him, but she knows how particularly nasty he can be when he's angry. Yet, perhaps what caused her to react defensively was her lack of knowledge as to what had caused this outburst."I'm sorry, did I touch a wound there? I thought it was an ink smear." She added softly, still evidently doubtful though that this was the case._

_He held his almost animalistic gaze for a few more moments without speaking. He stood up and took a few steps back. Although he looked...feral, in a way, he too seemed to be defensive and (Y/n) easily caught that in his mannerisms. Being this close to him only entailed that she understood subtle emotional cues._

_(Y/n) moved to stand up as well in slow and careful movements but did not approach him. She wanted him to know that his boundaries were respected; pressure could drive him into a state of frenzy._

_"I'm certain you know by now that you can trust me. Out of every dim-witted moron in this school, I'm the one who will never judge or mock you." Stated (Y/n) with an almost Gryffindor-seeming confidence. She may not want to pressure him too much, but at the same time, if anything is actually wrong, she _knows _she has to help whether he likes it or not._

_Barty was tense, his jaws were clenched shut and the spasms of his tongue were concealed by his greeted teeth._

_He knew she was right, she had proven her trustworthiness many times, but could he really show her **this**? Would she be able to understand, or even accept it? Barty knew she doesn't deserve to be close to him if she shuns the one being in this world that he admires the most, yet he still felt a bothersome knot in his stomach at the thought of how horrified she would be if she saw this._

_Indeed, they shared the same beliefs, she had fought older Gryffindors for his sake and had expressed her clear distaste towards mudbloods as well as slight fascination towards some aspects of the Dark Arts, but _this..._this_ _was entirely different._

_She would most likely reject him if she saw, then everything would come crashing down. She would betray him...she would become like the rest of them and turn her back on him, she would tell Dumbledore and then his blasted father would learn of this too and he would be imprisoned._

_This rapid overthinking process caused him to forget his initial thought that he could trust her and, without thinking, he drew his wand against her as his darker thoughts got the best of him._

_"Obliviate—"_

_"Protego." She said quickly before he could cast the spell on her. Her voice was surprisingly quiet. "Expelliarmus." She said in just the same tone and effortlessly sent his wand flying._

_Her eyes were wide in shock as he not only raised his wand against her, but almost actually erased her memories. She wanted to believe that he wouldn't have erased too much, but at this point she didn't know what he was thinking. The two had argued a few times before, but it was never like this._

_"...Don't think you can beat me in a duel, Bartemy. I'm one of the best in Hogwarts." She softly spoke the cold warning, but her cold and arrogant exterior wavered as her voice seemed to crack at the end._

_Barty had been slowly backing away from her before he caught that small waver of her voice and realised that she was more sad than angry at him._ _He knew she could do anything with the amount of spells she knew, but she couldn't bring herself to fight him._

_"(Y/n)..." Barty called in a careful tone as she lowered her head and tossed her wand on the couch, indeed proving him correct that she didn't want to fight._

_Her mask of coldness was slipping away and her fist clenched for a moment before slowly relaxing; an attempt at repressing her current emotions._

_Barty waited for a moment with his intense gaze settled on her form as he flicked his tongue over his bottom lip a few times. When he saw she was not moving, he took a step closer, then another as he attempted to lessen the distance between them._

_"...Why did you try to erase my memories?" She finally asked in a quiet voice. "What are you so desperate to hide that would be worth lying to someone you're willing to call a friend?"_

_Barty stopped as he heard her, growing very tense. His tongue once again twitched out of his mouth and he contemplated whether he should stay where he is and keep quiet, or actually speak to her and avoid a possible outburst._

_"Have you ever done this before?"_

_This question took him off guard and he instantly abandoned any thoughts of remaining quiet and staying away. Barty confidently marched to her as she raised her gaze to him and brought his hands on her shoulders. The faintly visible tears at the edges of her eyes actually startled him since he's never seen her with watery eyes before. Her emotions were under control and her face seemed devoid of any tension, but her slightly glistering eyes betrayed her._

_"No, I haven't. You've never come so close to finding out before." He firmly spoke and she understood by his tone that he was telling the truth. His lies came out very differently, she knew since they'd spent a lot of time together. She was gaining more and more control of herself and soon enough, her eyes dried completely. The heat emanating from the fireplace near them was helping with that._

_"Finding out what?" She asked in an even tone, showing no signs of fear or uncertainty since she knew it would not be beneficial in this situation._

_At this point, Barty was realising that he couldn't exactly back away from this now. He could just refuse to tell her and be done with this, but something was telling him that he had revealed too much to just stop. Or perhaps it was this unfamiliar guilt for hurting her that had him thinking so._

_Amidst the intense contemplation, Barty decided that his foremost priority was to ensure privacy. He had technically almost shouted that memory charm and he wanted to ensure that no one was awake. Quickly, Barty dashed to the stairs that led to the dormitories and looked up. No one was standing there, to his relief._

_As he went up some steps, he saw that the doors to both the female and male dormitories completely shut._

_He quickly came back down and stood in front of (Y/n), who had remained quiet as she understood what he'd been doing. Her eyes followed him as he returned and briefly focused on the flickering of his tongue. At any point, it would have made her smile if they weren't in the middle of such a serious conversation if she wasn't angry at him for using a spell against her._

_"This." He said suddenly as he aggressively rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to expose what he'd been so desperate to hide._

_(Y/n)'s eyes widened as she came in contact with this slightly faded symbol that could send shivers to any witch or wizard. Her eyes observed the entangled snake below the skull that had formed something which loosely resembled the symbol of infinity. She'd never noticed the intricate design before, as she'd never been in such close proximity with a Death Eater._

_As far as she knew, at least._

_Barty was beginning to get impatient and the twitches of his tongue were becoming more rapid as moments passed without a word from her. He hated to even think of this, but he dreaded the rejection that would most likely come from her._

_Finally, she lifted her gaze from her forearm to his glinting brown eyes. The flame from the fireplace was reflected in them, though he did not need its glow to highlight the deep insanity that was exposed in his gaze._

_(Y/n) had grown to love that insanity._

_"You are a Death Eater..." Was her first comment, a way of reaffirming this very shocking reality to herself. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more she realised how obvious it was for him to have joined You-Know-Who's league. He absolutely despised mudbloods and had more or less similar views on Half-Bloods, he expressed fascination towards the Dark Arts and had even practiced some dark spells in secret._

_Her shock was slowly dissipating and Barty's intense observation of her features caught that. Surely this simple comment couldn't be everything she had to say, so he waited for her to add something— anything._

_"...Why did you never tell me before?" She eventually asked, calm yet evidently confused._

_This certainly took him by surprise. The intensity of his gaze wavered and confusion altered his feral-looking expression a little. He expected her to ask why he chose this, demand explanations as to what he's been doing or whether he's killed people...but of all the things she could have asked, she chose to ask this._

_"...I didn't—" He paused and his tongue darted out of his lips a few times, "_know_ how you would react. I couldn't risk being exposed..."_

_His words were spoken with discomfort; expressing his feelings was never an easy thing for him. Though (Y/n) seemed to understand and she gave a brief, affirmative nod._

_"I won't expose or judge you, you know that." She stated in a reassuring manner and gave another brief glance at the Dark Mark adorning his forearm. "When did you join him?"_

_Barty gave a small hum as he slowly accustomed himself to the reality that none of his dark thoughts had been proven correct, at least for now. He drew in a deep inhale and slowly let it out through his nostrils, calming himself before responding. "Recently; a few months back."_

_(Y/n) nodded, having guessed as much. They were still young after all, surely a Death Eater who completed dangerous tasks would have to be old enough. Perhaps Barty was the youngest there, for all she knew._

_"Did he order you to keep this a secret from everyone? Even those you trust?" As she asked this, she found herself understanding why he had been so secretive. Obviously such a thing could not be shown._

_"Any secrecy is mostly about missions, locations, other members...if one gets caught, it is his own issue to deal with. Though if one betrays the Dark Lord or other Death Eaters, there are consequences." He explained with a hint of spite and she gave another nod as she went back to the couch and took her wand from where she'd tossed it to put it back in the pocket of her robes._

_(Y/n) could tell how passionate he was about this, the spite for anyone who may betray the cause was undeniable. "I hope you know that I would never do anything that would send you to Azkaban. Your secret is safe with me." She reassured once again, speaking firmly as her eyes followed his movements while he took a seat beside her again._

_The fire was beginning to grow slightly weaker._

_Barty nodded, though he did not maintain eye contact after this. Exposing all this was surprisingly difficult and he felt confusion along with relief and perhaps a strange kind of happiness that (Y/n) had taken this so lightly. He knew that anyone else would have freaked out._

_Silence lingered again and (Y/n)'s trailed to the now visible mark on his forearm. She was about to reach her fingers there but stopped. "...May I?"_

_Barty turned to look at her, then at her hand, before looking back into her eyes. He nodded, suddenly seeming intrigued._

_(Y/n) brought her fingertips over the smooth skin and gently traced the body of the imprinted snake. It was a beautiful design, but not only in artistic terms; she found the philosophy behind it to be fascinating too. Coming from a strict pureblood family who valued tradition, (Y/n) had grown with those beliefs implanted to her. She knew her family did not have any direct affiliations with the Dark Lord, but she didn't doubt that they would be supportive should he somehow come to power._

_As her fingers stroked his forearm, her mind continued to wander on these dark thoughts that she'd never taken much time to consider before. If the Dark Lord is to come to power, surely her parents would accept this mark too. They've never told her this, not did they give any such indication, but (Y/n) knew them well; they would not die to fight him either._

_She also knew that many other radical pureblood supremacists were like that. They were accepting towards Voldemort's actions, but preferred to be away from danger. Essentially, the only difference between them and Barty was that he was willing to fight for his beliefs._

_Barty watched her, having shifted his position on the couch to face her. His dark eyes would flicker from her hand to her face and he wondered what she was thinking about. She didn't look horrified or disgusted. If anything, he could see the odd fascination on her features. There was something about the feeling of her fingers caressing the dark mark on his forearm...as though she was approving it, in a way; as though it was something beautiful that she liked to touch, instead of a monstrous symbol._

_And, by extension, if she found it fascinating...maybe she could_ _—_

_"Join him."_

_(Y/n) looked up at him as he suddenly broke the silence._

_She was taken aback by the bold request that had an air of demand to it._

_"...Join him?"_

_"Yes, join the Dark Lord!" He said with more passion. "You and I share the same beliefs. The Dark Lord is the only one who is willing to go against the system, who sees us purebloods for how worthy we really are! We were gifted with magic and it should not be squandered by mingling with mudbloods." His eyes seemed to glister with malice. "And the Dark Arts...they are not to be avoided at all costs! These spells could be harnessed for all sorts of practices, but we are taught to fear them. I say different!"_

_(Y/n) watched with astonishment as Barty poured out all these dark thoughts that he was suppressing. She knew he had them, she knew they shared them, but he'd never been so explicit. His father worked in the ministry, so if anyone caught him saying things like this and reported it to his father, he would be in serious trouble._

_It took a moment of thought on her part. This wasn't some contract that could be broken; she would carry this mark for all her life._

_But if it meant remaking the wizarding world as it should be, with him by her side, she was willing._

_"...You're right. I suppose I shouldn't preach about blood purity and usefulness of the Dark Arts if I'm not willing to act upon it. I'll join him." She said with surprising calmness as she raised her confident gaze to meet his surprised but excited one._

_His eyes widened with wicked joy and his malevolent grin almost startled her. He looked like vulture sometimes, but something about this was beautiful regardless. In a sudden movement, he almost jumped at her and hugged her tightly, causing her to let out a soft laugh of surprise. He often did such impulsive things, but now she knew that this moment held a deep meaning to him._

_The fierceness of his embrace had caused her to lean back on the arm of the couch with Barty almost atop of her. Eventually, after a long moment, the Slytherin boy lifted himself off her but remained at a proximal distance from her. She looked back into his eyes as she waited for him to speak._

_"(Y/n)."_

_"Yes, Bartemy."_

_"...You're more than just a friend."_

The Auror's face morphed in disgust. A Death Eater love story. "Hm, how romantic." He commented with half-hearted sarcasm. "You sill haven't told me anything consequential. I'm assuming he took her to You-Know-Who a few days later and she was initiated."

Antiochus gave a simple nod, ignoring the Auror's sarcasm. That was more or less what happened, actually. "I'm only answering the questions you ask. You were curious to know about her origins, weren't you?"

The other man rolled his eyes. "You didn't have to make it so elaborate."

"You didn't have to listen to it. Last I checked, you were the one in charge." Antiochus, from being desperate to prove that he was cooperative, had become sarcastic and somewhat nonchalant.

"Pardon me for thinking you actually had something useful to say." Said the Auror in what sounded like annoyance. Indeed, he hadn't stopped the Death Eater because he was curious to know if there was anything in the details that would help him locate the two.

"Well, I certainly hope you found what you were looking for."

The Auror's annoyance seemed to intensify and he was about to lash out before some sudden realisation stopped him. 

Antiochus' voice was different; not only in terms of tone, but it also sounded as though it belonged to someone else. Though that wasn't the only thing that made him completely freeze and stare at the Death Eater.

"...You said you didn't know whether (Y/n) and Barty were dating, but then you somehow claimed that he saw her as more than a friend." Stated the Auror warily.

Antiochus couldn't help a smirk pulling his chapped lips. "Ah, I did, didn't I? I suppose I got carried away there a little. You know what they say, love gets to you. I suppose I romanticised things a bit. It actually took a few days to make the decision to join Lord Voldemort." He mused with a malevolent serenity, as though this were a trivial game.

"...So you lied?"

The smirk turned into a brief chuckle as the other man shook his head in denial. "No, no...I didn't lie. I said, I only romanticised things a little."

A harsh expression shifted the Auror's features. "You said that Barty checked everywhere to ensure no one was watching, how were you able to even see all this?"

Antiochus remained silent for a moment, but eventually he broke into laughter; uncharacteristically loud and joyous.

"Oh bloody hell, you're good!" He exclaimed with a hint of a growl. "I slipped there a little, Bartemy won't be very happy about that." He said to himself, feigning disappointment as he huffed.

The Auror just stood there, looking shocked and even horrified as he pieced everything together. As if to confirm this realisation, Antiochus' features began to change. Even the small bracelet he wore began to change shape and turn into an actual wand. That level of transfiguration skill was definitely very high.

"Evanesco!" He cast the spell in a significantly different voice before the Auror had any chance to react. By now, Antiochus' features resembled those of a woman and the low grunts as his appearance changed began to sound more feminine too.

In his shock, he was too slow to draw his wand, which he had placed back in his pocket while "Antiochus" was narrating. He quickly took it out and aimed at her. "You're-"

"Immobulus." She said quickly, rendering him completely still. Calmly, she walked over and took the wand from his hand before snapping it in two. "Yes, I'm (Y/n). It took you a while to notice, Whatever-Your-Name-Is. I killed Antiochus not long after he agreed to speak to you. I loathe unfaithful Death Eaters." She said, full of distaste. "It's marvelous what a hefty amount of Polyjuice and the Imperius Curse can do for you." She added, eagerly gloating as the Auror before her tried desperately to fight through the immobilising charm.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but this isn't my only obligation for the day." She said in a feigned dismissive tone, mocking his words from earlier. "Lord Voldemort sends his regards."

Hasty and agitated, the Death Eater paced impatiently along the spacious living room of his old manor; his tongue flickered as if to silently hiss at his surroundings and a hand ran through his greasy brown hair, leaving it messier than it was before.

His eyes glinted dangerously and he grumbled incoherent complaints to himself.

"Bartemy."

The voice startled him and he whipped his head back with wide eyes. "...(Y/n)." He uttered, storming towards her in an almost animalistic way.

Her twisted grin welcomed him and she gladly accepted the almost suffocating embrace, which she returned by slipping her arms around his torso, beneath his long and tattered leather coat.

"You carried out the task, I believe." He said in a calmer but still impatient tone as he pulled away.

"Of course. Your plan worked marvelously." She responded, handing him the wand of the fallen Auror.

His gaze fell to the wand on her hands with malicious excitement and he took it in his hands. After a moment of silent gazing, he abruptly clenched both hands around it and snapped it in half before looking up at her.

"And your execution of it was flawless, as always. The Dark Lord will be pleased." He said in an approving tone before carelessly throwing the two pieces away. His now free hands found their way on her cheeks and his eyes remained glued on hers.

Her now softer grin eased into a smile of appreciation as she brought her own hands over his; she loved his touch. Leaning up, (Y/n) pressed her lips to his and Barty gladly obliged to the kiss and instantly moved his lips along hers. She felt the inadvertent movement of his tongue against her lips and parted them to slightly deepen it.

They shared this intimate moment for a little until both leaned back. There would be time for more of this later.

"What is our next task?" Asked (Y/n).

"For now, we just report back to Lord Voldemort. The next task is still under preparation but from what I've heard, Dumbledore is going to die." 

(Y/n) couldn't help but share his excitement and her once calm smile was ironically brightened by her dark thoughts. "Once he's gone, it will be over for them."

"Precisely." He nodded eagerly.

Wasting no time, Barty pulled away from her and motioned for her to follow him with a quick nod as he aparated to the Dark Lord's location.

Without hesitation, (Y/n) followed.


End file.
